The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1887-05-07
WORSHIP OF oAe.
4 Class ~ Legislators who Deserve rgno-
minious and speedy Retirement. b.

- Cisss OF boHisiAtors Who Deserve Igno-
minious and speedy Retirement.
In this day Of progress there is no
error more general and more deleteri-
Gus to our material and intellectual
prosperity than our senseless worship
Of CAB. 1t Is not worthy apprecia-
tioa of the beauties OF true and pure
eloquence. But those who arc gifted
with a copious flow Of impvacticsble
and useless words have educated the
people to the idea that no man is fit for
legislator unless he is endowed with
constant ebulltion OF gas. And al
though every man of experience and
thought will at once acknowledge that
not one in hundred of those who are
as tirclcss in their talk as the winds on
the prairies are fit for any thing practi-
cal in the world, Us Legislators they are
totally incapable of originating n prac-
tical law, or Of successfully remodeling
a bill offered by any one else. In this
| matter we have some readers who have
had experience in legislative folly, and
they know how little reliance can be
| placed in an inveterate talker in ar.
ranging practical legislation. 1t is the
calm, cool, thinking men, who have
gathered up the great lessons of life in
a severe and close conflict with tho
world. Colleges may make scholars.
but it takes something additional to
make men.
Those who have done most in forming
and perpetuating the institutions of our
country were not orators, but men OF
thought, experience and of mature judg-
ment. Great principles are evolved and
important questions settled by deep and
close Investigation in the private Office.
and in the closer conflict of minds in
the committee-rooms. Speeches in the
public halls of legislation have nothing
to do with the settlement of great ques-
tions. They are made for the gaping
| crowd.
| Our halls of legislation are crowded
with lawyers, to the exclusion of the
various branches of industry. This
would not be so Objectionable if better
class of lawyers were selected. 1t is
well known in this learned profession,
to be successful law firm should
always have as one of the partners u
good "oilice lawyer" This means {.
man of practical sense enough to get
up the papers and pleas in the right
form. A man who can put himself
down to the preparation of business
The other partner should be a good
"jury lawyer" This is one who can
spread the eagle and tell the dirty anec-
dotes. In the profession there is too
large proportion of the latter
class. And our readers will bear
witness that if any one of the firm be-
comes candidate for the Legislature or
Congress, it is invariably the one
who has the "gift of gab," instead of
the one who has by study and we'll
balanced mind brought success to the
law firm. In this way our Legislative
and congressional halls are filled with
impractical men. What better evidence
do we want of this fact than the fire.
quent and constant passage of laws
which are unconstitutional, and that,
too, after going through the scrutiny Of
the judiciary committee, composed OF
lawyers, for the express purpose of
checking unconstitutional legislation.
This would not be the case if the Office
instead of the jury lawyer was elected.
And this brings us back to the question
our great error of gab worship. We
want more thinking and fewer talking
men in higher places. A gassy mem
~, o1
Every set speech he makes to empty
benches costs several thousand dollars,
and does no good. And a large por-
ton OF our eXtravagant expenditures
and our protracted and useless sessions
of Congress grow out Of the practice Of
taking for Congressman the wrong
member of the firm, OF the wrong men,
Der of the community. Gas instead of
sense, imprudence instead of modest
merit, is too often the man of the popu-
lar crowd. If there be man in any
community who has never done any
thing in the world except to study
graceful gestures, and ornament his
language with stolen quotations from
the literature of the past, he is selected
to be the man to frame grave laws for
the government of the diversified inter-
ests Of continent.
The past history of every State in this
Union, and of the United States. shows
that the reliable practical men are those
who have matured and disciplined their
minds in the great industrial interests.
agriculture, manufacture. mechanics or
merchandise. These are the interests
of the world, and from these we want
more men of practical experience and
moral tirmness. If the people would
cease running after mere CAB, and seek
after plain, practical men, who know
and who sympathize with those who
labor, our rights would be better re-
spected and our institutions be longer
perpetuated. Budget.
Franks Of Church Mouse.
The soft strains of the organ in the
Birmingham Episcopal church were